Stability Curve

Nuclear Reaction

For a reaction to occur spontaneously, there must be a mass defect so that

the product of the reaction have some KE and mass-energy is conserved.
However in the given reaction mass of products is greater, for this reaction
to take place the helium nucleus must have some KE of at least 1.2 MeV
when it bombards the nitrogen nucleus.
Binding Energy Per Nucleon curve
 Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear reaction in which two or more lighter nuclei fuse together, to
form a heavier nucleus is called Nuclear Fusion. Although nuclear fusion
reactions are the source of solar energy presently we could not duplicate
this reaction in a controlled manner on Earth. Because this reactions to
occur nuclei involved have to be brought very close to each other. For
this conditions of extremely high temperature and pressure, similar to
those found at the center of the Sun are required. Reactions requiring
those conditions are called thermonuclear reactions.
 Nuclear Fission (Induced)

Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy nucleus into

two lighter nuclei of approximately the same mass.
Spontaneous and Random nature of Radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is a spontaneous process because it is not
affected by any external factors, such as temperature or pressure.

Radioactive decay is a random process in that it can not be

predicted which nucleus will decay next. There is a constant
probability that a nucleus will decay in any fixed period of time
Spontaneous and Random nature of Radioactive decay
 Half-Life
The half-life(T1/2) of a radioactive nuclei is the time taken
for the number of undecayed nuclei to be reduced to half
its original number.
 Law of Radioactive Disintegration
The rate of disintegration of radioactive substance at any time is directly
proportional to the number of radioactive nuclei present at that instant. If N is the
radioactive nuclei present at any instant then at this instant the rate of
disintegration is (-dN/dt)

ie dN/dt α N
ie dN/dt = -λN => dN/N = -λdt =>
……………………
…………………….
N = No e – λt
This equation shows that radioactive nuclei decrease exponentially with
time.

Similarly T1/2 = 0.693/ λ

Mathematical description of Radioactive decay

Activity: The activity of a radioactive source is the

number of nuclear decays occurring per unit time in
the source. Activity is measured in becquerel (Bq),
where 1 Bq is 1 decay per second (1 Bq = 1s-1).
Activity (A) = λN

Decay Constant: For radioactive decay, the decay

constant λ is the probability per unit time of the
decay of a nucleus.
Decay constant (λ) = 0.693/ T1/2
 Calculation
1. A sample of radioactive substance initially contains 1000 undecayed
nuclei of an isotope, whose decay constant λ = 0.1 min-1. Calculate the
value of undecayed nuclei (N) at interval of 1 min for 10 min, then draw
a graph to show how the sample will decay over a period of 10 min and
use it to find the half-life of sample. Compare this half-life with that you
get by calculation. (N = No e – λt)
Time/ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
min
N 1000 905 819 741 670 607 549 497 449 407 368

2. A laboratory has 1.4 micro gram of pure 13N which has a half-life of 10
min.
a) How many nuclei are present initially? (6.90x1016)
b) What is the activity initially and after 1 hour? (8.0x1013 and 1.25x1012)
c) After approximately how long will activity drop to 1s-1.(7.66 hr)